1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which an image reading unit is disposed so that space is allowed between the image reading unit and a peripheral unit including an image forming unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a strong demand for reduction of the space for installing an image reading unit in an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium such as paper in an image forming unit based on image information read from a document by the image reading unit. For this reason, there has been an image forming apparatus in which space is provided between an image reading unit and a peripheral unit including an image forming unit and a paper feed unit, which peripheral unit is disposed below the image reading unit, so that an image-recorded recording medium is discharged to the space. Such an image forming apparatus has space provided above the peripheral unit, in which a support structure is disposed to support the image reading unit.
As an image forming apparatus provided with such a support structure, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-297440 (1997) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising a peripheral unit, a rack having a bottom in abutment with a floor surface, disposed separately from the peripheral unit and an image reading unit mounted on the top of the rack.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-15923 (1997) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising a C-shaped table having upper and lower mounting supports on which upper mounting support an image reading unit is mounted and on which lower mounting support a peripheral unit is mounted.
In addition, Japanese Examined Patent Publication JPB-B2 2846435 discloses an image recording apparatus comprising an L-shaped rack which supports an image reading unit at its upper end and has a flat portion for mounting a peripheral unit, formed at its lower end.
However, in the construction disclosed in the above-cited JP-A 9-297440, since a peripheral unit is independently movable with respect to a rack on which an image reading unit is mounted, there is the problem that in a case where the image reading unit falls off the rack when the image reading unit is moving or an operator erroneously comes into contact with the rack, the image reading unit may be damaged. To prevent this problem, the rack needs to be rigidly constructed, but there is the problem that costs and installation space increase.
However, in each of the constructions disclosed in JP-A 9-15923 and JP-B2 2846435, since the peripheral unit composed of heavy units such as the image forming unit and paper feed unit is mounted on the mounting support, the mounting support needs to be fully rigidly constructed, and there is the problem that costs and installation space increase.
An object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which a support structure for supporting an image reading unit is integrally secured to a peripheral unit, whereby an image reading unit can be disposed so that space is allowed between the image reading unit and the peripheral unit without increasing costs or installation space.
The invention has the following constructions as means for solving the problems.
The invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising:
a reading unit;
a peripheral unit including an image forming unit disposed below the image reading unit;
a support structure for supporting the image reading unit spaced from a top of the peripheral unit, having a securing portion at which the support structure is integrally secured to the peripheral unit.
According to the invention, since the support structure which supports the image reading unit is integrally secured to the peripheral unit which is disposed below the image reading unit, the support structure and the image reading unit are made to move with the movement of the peripheral unit, whereby the peripheral unit is prevented from moving independently of the support structure and the image reading unit and the image reading unit can be supported via the support structure by the peripheral unit disposed below the image reading unit in a stable state. In addition, since the weight of the peripheral unit does not act on the support structure, the support structure needs only to have strength sufficient to support the image reading unit, whereby it is possible to prevent an increase in complexity of the structure of the support structure as well as an increase in the weight thereof and it is also possible to realize facilitation of transportation and reduction in cost.
In the invention it is preferable that the support structure has a vertically extending connecting-portion for supporting a mounting portion on which the image reading unit is mounted, in a vicinity of a top end thereof in a cantilevered manner, the securing portion being formed in a vicinity of a bottom end of the connecting portion.
According to the invention, the mounting portion is supported in a cantilevered manner in the vicinity of the top end of the connecting portion disposed vertically, and the securing portion is formed in the vicinity of the bottom end of the connecting portion, whereby the support structure can be constructed to have an extremely simple structure.
In the invention it is preferable that the securing portion vertically engages with a bottom of the peripheral unit.
According to the invention, since the securing portion of the support structure vertically engages with the bottom of the peripheral unit, the horizontal movement of the peripheral unit is transmitted to the support structure via the securing portion, whereby the image reading unit and the support structure can be made to move together with the peripheral unit.
In the invention it is preferable that the support structure is secured to a back of the peripheral unit via the securing portions at plural vertical positions of the support structure.
According to the invention, the securing portions of the support structure are secured to the back of the peripheral unit at plural vertical positions of the connecting portion, whereby the weight of the image reading unit is prevented from acting to be concentrated at one point on the support structure and the back of the peripheral unit and the image reading unit can be rigidly supported via the support structure by the peripheral unit.
Incidentally, in this construction, if a side which is mainly opposed by an operator during image forming processing is defined as a front side, the back of the peripheral unit indicates a side which is parallel to the front side and does not hinder the operation of the operator during image forming processing even if the securing portion of the support structure is secured to the side.
In the invention it is preferable that the support structure is secured to lateral sides of the peripheral unit via the securing portions at plural positions in a front and back direction of the supporting structure.
According to the invention, the securing portions of the support structure are secured to the lateral sides of the peripheral unit at plural positions in the front and back direction of the supporting structure, whereby the weight of the image reading unit is prevented from acting to be concentrated at one point on the support structure and the lateral sides of the peripheral unit and the image reading unit can be rigidly supported via the support structure by the peripheral unit.
Incidentally, in this construction, if a side which is mainly opposed by an operator during image forming processing is defined as a front side, the lateral sides of the peripheral unit indicate sides which are perpendicular to the front side and do not hinder the operation of the operator during image forming processing even if the securing portion of the support structure is secured.
In the invention it is preferable that the securing portion includes a spacer which is positioned between the back of the peripheral unit and the securing portion.
According to the invention, the securing portion of the support structure is secured with the spacer interposed between the back of the peripheral unit and the securing portion, whereby even if the back of the peripheral unit has a forward, backward, rightward or leftward dimensional error in the vertical direction, the connecting portion can be rectilinearly constructed.
In the invention it is preferable that the securing portion includes a spacer which is positioned between the securing portion and the lateral side of the peripheral unit.
According to the invention, the securing portion of the support structure is secured with the spacer interposed between the lateral side of the peripheral unit and the securing portion, whereby even if the lateral side of the peripheral unit has a dimensional error in the forward or backward direction, the connecting portion can be rectilinearly constructed.
In the invention it is preferable that the peripheral unit includes a paper feed unit for accommodating paper therein, and an image forming unit which is disposed above the paper feed unit, for forming an image on paper, and the support structure is secured to the paper feed unit.
According to the invention, since the image reading unit and the paper feed unit which are supported by the support structure are integrally provided, stability can be improved compared to the case in which the image reading unit and the image forming unit are integrally provided and mounted on the paper feed unit.
In the invention it is preferable that the peripheral unit includes a caster provided with a roller capable of rolling, and a stand displaceable between a position where the stand projects from the caster and a position where the stand is retracted from the caster.
According to the invention, by retracting the stand from the caster, it is possible to easily move the image forming apparatus by means of the caster, whereas by projecting the stand from the caster, it is possible to prevent undesirable movement of the image forming apparatus and install the image forming apparatus at a predetermined position.